The Spider's Web: The Fly

[telerib]

Miss Corker "Me Da and three o'me bruthers are all on the Force and they'll be lookin' for me, don' you know it" O'Shea was transported over to a motel in Hoboken, NJ, where the rest of the team (alerted via Dr. Olsson's radio) was waiting for them. The Scorpion, under the watchful eye of Dr. Olsson ("The Silver Swami!" Reg insisted), took the young lady into the room and tied her to a chair. After privately assuring Dr. Olsson he had no intention of actually hurting the girl, he proceeded to do his best to make her believe that he would. Meanwhile, outside, an argument was occuring: Greta Skohl expressing disbelief that they'd kidnapped this woman, Reg defending their actions, Reg insisting that everyone wear masks, Phineas and Adam refusing to wear masks, and generally debating if it would be good or bad to let Miss O'Shea see Adam Archer.

Inside, Miss O'Shea was very badly frightened, but still valiantly tried to keep Archer's name out of things. When pressed further, she very strangely began to talk about being a patriotic American citizen, and that "you saucer people" ought to be ashamed, and so forth. She also repeated that she didn't know what or who the Spider was, or what was in the envelope that she carried, and, when asked, finally admitted that it was part of a federal investigation into the Mob. When asked for proof about her "federal investigator's" good intentions, she pointed to the Greenland episode - except that she was utterly certain that the same people behind the flying saucers were behind that, too.

Apparently, the evil Adam Archer had been filling the young lady's head with an interesting variety of tales.

After a while, Dr. Olsson got tired of the proceedings and offered to buy the girl a sandwich. She and Phineas made a run to a nearby diner, and Greta went in for propriety's sake. Once the Scorpion was convinced that she didn't know his identity, the real Adam Archer came into the room. Miss O'Shea recognized him and called him "Mr. Archer." Playing his evil double playing a federal investigator, Adam ordered her released and asked for her report on the night's activities. The Scorpion and the Invisible Hand played the scene up as if they were rival agents of some sort, although Adam later claimed they worked for him. If Miss O'Shea thought it odd that men working for Adam would interrupt her courier work for him, she didn't actually ask the question.

Adam tried to discover the Spider's hideout by encouraging Miss O'Shea to give the rest of the group their orders for the next day (since he thought he saw "leadership qualities" in her), including directions to the Base. "Mr. Archer... Ye've never told me about a base," she replied hesitantly. Instead, the next day's meeting was to take place at the restaurant where he'd first met her. That she knew, and gave the name and location of a cafeteria near the Danish Consulate.

Where would the Spider have gone? A brilliant mind, given to the intricacies of the legal code, the mysteries of the occult, and now, apparently, an interest in organized crime. Adam Archer thought about his double only briefly before declaring that Chinatown should be their destination for the next day.

Max and Phineas - Hell's Kitchen

Max had the sudden notion that he would join one of the Tongs undercover, thus piercing the veil of Chinese gangster secrecy! After an hour or so of having doors slammed in his face and subtle threats made against his person, the muscleman began to suspect that non-Chinese weren't welcome in Chinese gangs. Maybe, he thought, he should try somewhere else. Phineas, after being the only one of the group to meet Miss O'Shea at the cafeteria, joined him.

The lunch had been pleasant enough, if largely non-informational. Phineas, not showing an overabundance of trust, shrewdly did not tell Miss O'Shea about the group's new interest in Chinatown, nor any significant details of their most recent exploits. Something about her bright, curious questions just didn't quite tally...

The pair found a medium-sized pocket of local Irish thugs and made their introductions, rapidly and with force. The erstwhile leader was soon limping away in disgrace for the local pub, and the group looked to the two Inspired as the new Big Dogs. But they demurred, saying that they just wanted in on the action, and that the old leader was just disrespecting their skills. They didn't know the turf well enough to lead... but the lad with the curly blond hair who looked far too much like a certain secretary they'd recently met, he might do. With their support, Donald O'Shea got a sudden and unexpected promotion.

The two turned conversation to underworld gossip; the Irish had heard of the Spider, and that there was trouble between him and the Rock's gang, but now the Rock was back and the Spider was squashed. Or would be soon. Or maybe it was the other way around, because some people were saying the Rock wasn't back after all. But Bobbie's girl's father had seen him, don't you know, and was positively sure that... Anyway, it was all the Italians, so who cared? Their job was to run their piece of turf.

Max suggested that the Rock wasn't so bad, and that they could maybe expand their turf into his territory, while all this was up in the air. Donald was uneasy about the idea, but even more uneasy about disagreeing with Max and Phineas, and said that he could free up five guys for an attempt.

Meanwhile...

Greta and Dr. Olsson, Reg and Adam - Chinatown

The ladies went shopping. Dr. Olsson's facility with Chinese helped greatly, impressing the shopkeepers and generally rendering them friendly and helpful. Greta's reporter's instincts helped in figuring out which questions to ask.

A nice old lady running a curiosities shop confirmed that indeed, an honorable white man had been there, asking questions about things that were far, far from the experience of this most humble person. Had she recommended him to another shop? Why yes, Lao Feng, down the street. But the honorable ladies did not want to shop at Lao Feng's, because he was undoubtedly a crook and his goods were shoddy, whereas this humble person took great care to ensure that only the very best goods were kept in this shop... They rewarded her by buying a great deal of exotic Chinese clothing on Reg's dime.

Meeting Reg and Adam for lunch, they passed the information on. "We figure you can check out Lao Feng's. We're going to buy shoes," Dr. Olsson told them.

Reg blinked. "Let me get this straight. We're going to go knock over the opium den while you go shoe shopping?"

Greta smiled. "Bingo!" [Quote of the Week!]

In the end, Greta went to Lao Feng's separately, as backup.

Lao did recognize Adam when he came in, and was very pleased to see him. The Spider had apparently done a good bit of business here! Adam requested an itemized receipt, which was vaguely perplexing to the man, but he was not one to argue with a man who spent money so freely in his shop. The list contained a good deal of clothing and household goods, but also some strange items that, in Chinese lore, would be used to manipulate the minds of others.

Adam pocketed the reciept, but before he and Reg could leave, Lao Feng had cornered them - with an array of items they might like to buy! Most interesting of all was a navy silk jacket, which Lao informed them was very popular in San Francisco and would surely make excellent impressions on people. Adam bought the thing, but more importantly - it seemed that the Spider had plans to switch coasts!

---
There was another Quote of the Week, but alas, I cannot recall it and it is written down at home. I'll have to add it later.